Like the other Haut-Saint-François municipalities, the Township of Newport awarded scholarships to six high school graduates as part of a scholarship recognition evening organized by the Cité-école Louis-Saint-Laurent.
Since the beginning of September, some ten ceremonies have taken place in which as many municipalities and members of the school team (directors, teachers, support staff and professionals) of the Cité-école have participated in various towns and villages of Haut-Saint-François. Representatives from the Alexander Galt Regional High School also attended the meetings to recognize a total of 17 graduating students.
The mayor of Newport, Lionel Roy, and Francine Turmel, representative of the Caisse Desjardins du Haut-Saint-François, presented each student with a cheque totaling $350, with $200 contributed by the municipality and $150 by the financial institution. Both presenters congratulated the students and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. Ms. Turmel invited young people to visit the Desjardins site, in particular the Desjardins Foundation, to discover a scholarship and career development program. Mayor Roy encouraged parents to support their children throughout their development.
The director of the Cité-école, Tommy Bureau, was present to advocate for young people. « I believe in young people, I believe in our youth, they are beautiful, good and fine, and I have confidence in passing the torch to them. Mr. Bureau acknowledged that the institution has a primary educational mission, but added that it also fulfills the role of helping to develop good people.
As has become the tradition, Ginette Bruyère, Spiritual Life and Community Engagement Facilitator, provided news about previous graduates, giving a brief account of their academic or professional development. The goal is to keep a connection with the previous recipients and encourage the new ones to continue their journey.
The cohort of graduates for the 2020-2021 school year residing in Newport includes: Jacob Grégoire, Alexis Castonguay, Chantal Patry, Mirko Pérusse, Rosalie Rochon, and Mikaela Lamarche of the Alexander Galt High School. Each graduate spoke about their educational path, whether college or university, while others discussed their development in the labor market.
Recognition
Note that the recognition evenings are in their 12th edition, coinciding with the city-school project. The various speakers have honored this year, during the 10 meetings, no less than 84 graduates of the 2020-2021 school year, including 41 boys and 43 girls. These young people have obtained either a high school diploma (DES) or a vocational studies diploma (DEP). In addition to awarding the cheques, the main objective of the events is for the community to recognize the students.